Welcome to the Ophthalmology Clerkship

Learn how to detect and prevent blinding diseases

Welcome to your Ophthalmology clerkship! Our goal is to prepare you, as graduates of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, with the knowledge and examination skills required by a general medical practitioner to recognize what eye disorders can be treated without referral to an ophthalmologist, and how soon the other disorders should be referred to specialists.

You will also learn to appreciate how extensively the visual system reveals the function of the central nervous system, with half the cranial nerves, representation of the visual sensation by the parietal, temporal and occipital lobes, and control of eye movements by the frontal lobes, midbrain, pons and three cranial nerves.

EXPECTATIONS

This 2-week course will include an introductory review of the eye examination and experience in different clinics seeing patients with residents and faculty. An opportunity to observe ophthalmic surgery is possible for students who desire this experience and communicate to us that interest.

It is very important to become comfortable with the fundoscopic examination. It is expected that each medical student will be able to perform an eye examination including visualization of the fundus by the end of the rotation. This will require the student to use the direct ophthalmoscope and find at least 20 optic nerves. Asking faculty for assistance is encouraged if needed.

On either the Friday before the ophthalmology week or at the latest on the Monday afternoon of the first day of the clerkship, each student should pick up a packet from the Department of Ophthalmology office located at 2828 Marshall Court, Suite 200 that will include your week’s schedule, a basic ophthalmology textbook and a description of a Patient Problem that you are to discuss at the Friday afternoon examination exercise. The material can be obtained on Friday between 8:30 am and 3:30 pm, or on Monday after 7:30 am.

On the first day of your Ophthalmology rotation, please report to the University Station Eye Clinic at 8:30 am (unless a different time is indicated by the clerkship coordinator) for the review of how to do the eye examination. If you have an ophthalmoscope, you should bring it to the session fully charged; however, it is not required that you have your own ophthalmoscope.

You will be expected to attend the Ophthalmology Grand Rounds at 7:00 am, held every Friday at HSLC, Room 1345 (unless otherwise noted).